Morgenstern: In Defense of the Feature Film

Joe Morgenstern says there's a lot to love about television these days, but nothing compares to the power of feature film. He describes some of his favorites.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... pour in the glory days of TV Breaking Bad homeland but why or what was out the power of the feature film to sit down for the cutting room floor in the minds of consumers ... tend to buy multiple screens in every moment Wolf ... of the critic Joe Morgenstern has been thinking about this ... a lot in fact a key this year to offer a vigorous defense of Cinemark page out ... and with ... IRA I wanna know what inspired you to take on this topic is indeed a good ... day good thing to think about ... isn't it started with a small fob lowers the movement of the mission and when the elliptical trainer ... about a month ago ... when I was watching TV I was watching board ... with the Food Danish citizens ... we thought ... what am I doing with my life everybody is talking about TV ... I still love movies maybe I'm maybe I'm in the wrong medium ... I realize no and not ... I need to run some ... of this when I need to reassert the wonders of the media my mom ... was not selected in the Stock about this because you know you spend a lot of time sort of ... me start by actually saying what you love about TV and any kind of Safeway and you talk about what you love about Fillmore and I'm interested ... in recent years to a few people to really transform into films ... this and it's in your brain what what they eat ... well let's see the shoes they didn't begin with a broom ... the love for the top women and head ... of jangle and chanting let's start with that ... who knew that ... anyone will own Quentin and to know ... could do a comedy ... about slavery ... and in other action the vineyard of flavor and saying things that ... no one else is the percentage ... of the big screen or any other student ... and incidentally ... another film that Timana all economists ... twelve years a slave with the coming winter and soon ... the one that I don't see the other ... to drill the images on your own ideas and our brains ... and re form our ideas about what American slavery ones ... another film for me it is Wally beginning with its lenders of the opening shot ... going through the the the the fat people on board the spaceship who can no longer walk ... that became an image from video ... part when did but ... that American's wobbling around and ... big box stores are you looking at the back ... and ... more lies Kingdom little film by Wes Anderson ... but I actually didn't like so much when I first saw it and then the word ... and then I realized ... this is ... the visually distinctive film about young love ... that I will never forget ... I think it's very interesting you say that about men Rise Kingdom gel because at first it didn't quite get to that she discovered something ... later and in just a moment ago before we start coming here you and I were talking about discovery in TV ... versus fell as I said I we watched the season got our season two and Homeland which I love the series that the the interrogation scene where carry ... on cracks Brody ... I knew the first round I had tears streaming down my face I just re watched it I did not have the same reaction ... by contrast their films like Slumdog millionaire I re watched all the time ... and I fines and the new enemies time do you think that something unique the cinema gives us ... do I think it's the density and soon a move that could ... be used to do but TV because they don't have the budget but over the top ... of that saying that you're talking about in the homeland ... is a devastating scene but it's only about one thing ... the thing that that does that does breed ... but Slumdog millionaire who moved many of the great movies we love our about ... all holes were all the things that the same time ambiguous emotions ... amazing visual effects ... that's the power of movies and what I end this conversation job at Diageo's talking about endings themselves and why he thinks show that the endings of films perhaps ... give us more creative license than those in danger of a TV series ... because they can be open and let me give you two examples the first one is a classic ... it was revolutionary in its current woes ... gross but true frozen four hundred blows about wayward cute partly autobiographical Into Photos Hard ... who finally ends up on the beach who moved west coast of France ... the camera moves in on them and then freezes the friend ... meaning ... who knows what's gonna happen is skewed we don't ... you think about it you decide your version of the blue and what happened ... nobody had ever done and I like ... that before ... they are ending them but I love dearly that brings tears to my eyes everytime I watch it ... is the meaning of lost in translation ... when the Bill Murray characters whispered something into the Scarlet Johansen character ... we never know what it is ... but it makes a deep impression others moves here ... that moves us ... because the film allows us ... to write the ... script and so ... indeed the very best TV series the cyclically gel try to to leave that open ended point at the end of a stunning no matter when the Sopranos just went black ... I mean it surveyed were they trying to achieve that same sort of cinematic I'd technique there ... sure that's it that's a good example and I don't mean for a moment to detract from the greatness of great TV ... as I soon discovers the truth in tomorrow's paper ... I just love movies and I want people to understand why ... and that is why you are on the film critic Joe Morgenstern that is just take this week ... great story thank so much kept but to ... the ... I ...